HOUSTON – The Houston Police Department says an officer has been placed on restricted (desk) duty after he was arrested over the weekend for public intoxication.
Senior Police Officer James Barnett, 37, was arrested on Saturday in Fredericksburg and was booked into the Gillespie County Jail on a public intoxication charge.
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Fredericksburg PD says they received a call about a man who was highly intoxicated and had entered a person’s home.
When an officer arrived, the officer found the man, identified as Barnett, standing outside the home. The officer noticed a bulge in Barnett’s waistband and asked if he had a gun on him. Barnett responded he did.
Barnett was detained and the gun was secured.
Police said Barnett had red, bloodshot eyes and a strong odor of alcohol coming from him. His speech was also slurred and he was unsteady on his feet. When asked where he was staying, Barnett could not say and did not answer where he was coming from.
Barnett is assigned to the Southwest Patrol Division and was sworn in as an officer in August 2010.
HPD statement on arrest of an officer: pic.twitter.com/AoteAWkd7t
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) March 4, 2024
HPD says Barnett was charged with DWI in January 2022. He resigned after the incident, but the charges were later dismissed. After the charges were dismissed, HPD says Barnett reapplied and was rehired in November 2023.
Pending the outcome of the investigation, Barnett is currently on desk duty.
“HPD holds its officers to the highest standards and will take action up to, and including termination,” HPD said on X, formerly known as Twitter.